Business Manager, Coatings and Dispersions

Job Overview:

The Business Manager, Coatings and Dispersions is a hybrid role combining business development and product line management responsibilities. This position is accountable for growing the Asbury coatings and dispersions product line through active business development, while simultaneously serving as the business and product resource for Asbury's existing specialty coatings and dispersions portfolio. The role requires a balance of outward-facing commercial support and inward-facing operational ownership, to help grow revenue and manage the core product line.

Key areas of strategic focus for this role include, but are not limited to:

·         Grow Product Line Sales: Accelerate market adoption for the Asbury coatings and dispersions products by generated targeted prospects and initiating early-stage engagement. Once the potential customer engages, partner closely with the Sales Manager to drive opportunities forward, serving as the primary support resource for technical qualification and customer trials. For leads generated by the sales team, conduct initial assessments of opportunity size and technical realism to qualify projects before bringing them to the Technical team. For approved projects, actively suppor the scross-functional commercialization and market launch of the final product.

·         Maintain and Optimize Core Product Sales: Maintain and support our current sales of Specialty Coatings and Dispersions – be the point person for the company on product support. Report on business performance, trends, and growth areas. Own SKU rationalization efforts as needed.

·         Support Integration of GK Coatings Group and all related future global acquisitions: Facilitate the integration of the GK Coatings line by mapping out commercial synergies and avenues for global expansion. Lead product education initiatives to train the GK team on Asbury products, equipping them to cross-sell effectively. Support all other related future acquisitions globally. .

Roles & Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Business Development

·         Support the launch of the VeraGuard product line and support active opportunities

·         Generate new leads and manage outreach to prospective customers in target markets – engage Sales once a propsect engages

·         Support the sales team through joint customer calls, technical presentations, and active participation in customer trials.

·         Build and maintain relationships with existing and prospective customers to drive pipeline growth and revenue.

·         Conduct market analysis to identify new application areas, competitive positioning, and growth opportunities.

·         Analyze and develop strategic partnerships that accelerate market penetration and commercial growth.

·         Represent Asbury at professional associations, trade shows, seminars, and industry events to increase brand visibility and recognition.

·         Develop business cases for new product development opportunities and launch new product development projects in collaboration with the technical team.

Product Line Management – Coatings & Dispersions Portfolio

·         Serve as the business resource for the specialty coatings and lubricants product line, supporting revenue and profitability targets as defined in the Asbury forecast.

·         Serve as the primary technical resource and central funnel for all technical questions from the sales team regarding the specialty coatings and lubricants portfolio; provide timely, accurate responses and escalate to technical teams as appropriate.

·         Support the sales team in product selection for customer applications, ensuring the right product is recommended for each use case.

·         Support pricing of the specialty coatings and lubricants product line as needed including price increase support and general percentage recommendations; interface with Operations and Finance ask needed to manage/troubleshoot product costs and ensure pricing integrity.

·         Support marketing with the generation, maintenance, and accuracy of Product Data Sheets (PDS) for the specialty coatings and lubricants portfolio. Marketing to generate and update files, Business Manager to provide content and recommendations.

·         Provide supply chain support; serve as the interface between Sales, Supply Chain, and Operations to resolve supply issues and ensure product availability. Support Operations with capacity, scale up, and production trials as needed.

·         Lead SKU rationalization as needed; develop a clear understanding of the current portfolio, sales performance by SKU, and recommend consolidation or discontinuation strategies.

·         Support the development of the AOP for the specialty coatings and lubricants product line; develop product-specific plans as needed. Sales to update specific customer forecasts, this role should have a sense of overall growth/decline and new opportunities that should be included in the plan

·         Create and maintain customer collateral with marketing, including product brochures and data sheets

·         Translate product and application requirements from the sales team into clear specifications for Development and Operations teams to execute.

·         Participate actively in Operations and Sales All Hands Calls as the product line representative.

·         Qualify new coating opportunities generated through the sales team; support the productization process by developing product requirements, validating fit, and shepherding commercialization efforts.

Preferred Experience/skills:

Qualifications include:

·         BS degree or equivalent, preferably in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

·         5–10 years of professional experience in business development, sales, account management, or product management, preferably in specialty chemicals, coatings, or industrial minerals.

·         Technical knowledge of coatings, dispersions, lubricants, or carbonaceous materials (graphite, carbon black) is strongly preferred.

·         Demonstrated success in business development, with a track record of generating new pipeline, closing new business, and growing revenue.

·         Experience in product management, including pricing ownership, product lifecycle management, and cross-functional coordination.

·         Strong commercial and technical communication skills; able to serve as a bridge between customers, sales, and technical/operations teams.

·         Outstanding organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously across both commercial and operational workstreams.

·         Strong business development mindset: proactive, results-driven, with a can-do attitude and experience driving footprint in new markets and with new customers.

·         Experience with product data sheet creation and technical collateral development.

·         Knowledge of supply chain processes and ability to coordinate across Sales, Operations, and Supply Chain functions.

·         Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook).

·         Ability to work independently as a self-starter and collaboratively within a cross-functional team environment.

·         Knowledge of Asbury's Quality Control Systems is a plus.

·         Willingness to adopt and demonstrate the Asbury Way 30 fundamentals of behavior.

25-50% Travel

For more than a century, Asbury Advanced Materials has been a trusted supplier of graphite, carbon, coke, and engineered material solutions to customers around the world. Our products support industries ranging from metals and drilling to electronics, plastics, lubricants, coatings, and emerging technologies.